Steam-engine.



PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903. s. B. HOUSE.

STEAM ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1902.

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- s. E. HOUSE.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1902.

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3.. 0 9 .1 uw 2 nm U A D. E. T N E T A P SI B. HOUSE. STEAM ENGINE.

A PPLIGATION FILED Nov. 29, 1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

' @Aforgcays vPATENTED AUG. 25, 1903. 7

` s. E. EoUsE. STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. 1902.

l0 MODEL.

TM5 MORRIS PUERS co. PHoTnLITMO.. wAsHlNommp. c.

UNITED lSTATES l lsatented August 25, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY BOWLrNc HOUSE, OF sATrcOY, CALIFORNIA.

SPECIFCATION forming part 0f Letters AEaltent N o. 737,239, dated August 25, 1903. Application filed November 29, 1902. Serial No. 133,252. v(No model.)

.To all wir/0711, 1225 may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY BOWLING HOUSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saticoy, in the county of Ventura and State of California,1have invented a new and useful Steam-Engine, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to certain improve. ments in rotary engines of that general class in which a laterally-movable cylinder-abutment is alternately moved into and out of the` path oE-travel of a revoluble pistou-Wing.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved form of cylinder and cylinderpacking for contact With the revolubleweb of the piston in order to prevent the escape of steam. from the steam-space of the cylinder; and a further object is to provide an improved form of movable cylinder-abutment and abutment guiding and packing devices.

A still further Object of the invention is to provide in an engine of this class for the admission of steam to a point in advance ofthe piston in order to equalize the steam-pressure on opposite sides of the abutmentbefore the latter is Withdrawn from the cylinder, and

thus reduce friction and lessen the powerrequired for reciprocating the abutment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for properly actuating the abutment, the operatingmech-` anism serving to eiiect a quick reciprocating movement of the abutmentduring themovement of the piston in either direction.

provide an improved .form of valve-operating mechanism which may be adj usted either `by hand or by any suitable form of governor mechanism to regulate vtheipoint of cut-off of the actuating Huid and Whichanay be, readily reversed to permit the operation of the piston in either direction.

With these and other objects in view the Vacter.

Astill further object of the invention is toV` engine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line 3 3 of Fig..2,.illustrating the con-` struction of the cylinder and piston. Fig. 4 is a similar View onthe line 4 4 ot' Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isa transverse sectional elevation of a portion of the cylinder, drawn to an enlarged scale.` Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of one of theabutment packing-rings. Fig. 7 is a similar view'of one of the piston packing-rings. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the reciprocating abutment. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional'view of a portion of the cylinder, illustrating the by-passes for admitting steam between the piston and abutment prior tothe Withdrawal of the latter from the cylinder. Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional elevation of a portion of the cylinder'of the engine on the line 10 10 of Fig. 5.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingwparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

- lOindicatesa suitable bed-plate from which rise standards 11, having journal-bearings for the support of a shaft 12, provided at one end with a balance-wheel13 of any ordinary char- To the bed-plate is secured the engine-cylinder 14, formed of four sections having bolting-flanges and secured together to form a continuous annular steam-space 15 for the reception of the piston wing or blade. The piston-body 155, which is secured to the shaft 12, is in the formof a wheel or disk having a central webbed portion, which may be either solid or spoked, and a continuous rim 16, the opposite sides of which are finished for contact with annular packing-strips carried by the inner Walls of the cylinder.

The piston packing-strips are of the character best shown in Figs. 5 and 7, comprising split rings 17, having overlapping ends and normally pressed against the opposite sides of the rim 16 by small compression-springs 18. Turning movement of the rings with the piston is prevented by-providing each ring with a projecting tongue 19, adapted to a re- IOO cess in the wall of the cylinder. The piston l5 carries a piston wing or blade 20, shaped to conform to the contour of the steam-space of the cylinder and provided with an annular packing-ring 2l, the wing being counterbalanced, as at 2l'. In order to provide for the accurate adjustment of the piston with respect to the cylinder, the sides of the cylinder are provided with recesses 22 for the reception of journal-boxes 23, which are held in place by set-screws 24, passing through suitable anges formed on the cylinder and adjustable in order to move the shaft to a central position and to lock the boxes in adjusted position, while longitudinal movement of the shafts is prevented by suitable collars 25, secured to the shaft and bearing against the outer faces of the journal-boxes.

At the iop of the cylinder and formed integral therewith is au abutment-casing 27, having a removable cap 28 to permit inspection of the abutment and packing, and with- .in said casing are abutment-guides formed by inwardly-projecting ribs 29 at the upper and lower portions of the opposite sides of said casing, the faces of the ribs being finished for contact with the sides of the abutment, and the ribs are continued around the adjacent walls of the steam-space in order to affordsteam-tight joints between the abutment-chamber and the steam space. The abutment is of the character best shown in Fig. S and is in the form of a slightly-rounded plate having upper andlower horizontal Walls, the lower wall 3l being slightly concave to conform to the contour ofthe piston on which it rests during the working stroke of the engine. In the top ot' the abutment 30 is a recess 32 for the reception of the webbed portion of a packing-strip 33, a spring 34 being introduced between the bottom of the recess "and the web in order to press the lower concaved wall of the abutment against the periphery of the piston body. The forward edge of the abutment is slightly rounded or tapered to facilitate the entrance of the abutment between a pair of annular packing-strips which surround the walls of the steam-space of the cylinder at the juncture of the latter with the abutment-chamber. The packingrings 35 are seated in annular recesses formed in the ribbed portion of the abutment-casing, and each ring is provided with a plurality of lugs 3G, perforated for the passage of. bolts 37, thelugs being seated in recesses of a depth less than that of the recesses which receive the packing-rings in order that the inner portions of said rings may be held steam-tight in the recesses. The rings are projected by means ot' springs 39, encircling the bolts and bearing against the inner faces of the lugs, the extent of outward movement being regulated by the bolts37.

On the shaft l2 is secured a wheel 40, having a peripheral cam-groove 4l for the reception of a roller 42, carried by a pin 43, depending from a rocker-arm 44, the opposite end of the rocker-arm being mounted on a stud 45, carried by the frame. The pin 43 is also connected by a rod 46 to a cross-bead 47, adapted to guides 4S, carried by the frame, and the cross-head is connected to the abutment by a rod 49, extending through a stuffing-box 50 at one end of the abutment-chamber. It will be noticed on reference to Fig. 2

vthat the cam-groove 4l has an abrupt actuating-surface for eteciing a quick reciprocating movement of the abutment, so that the steam may be allowed to act expausively on the piston-wing until the latter has nearly completed afull revolution. In order to hold the roller 42 in proper position, the rockerarm 44 is preferably provided with a projecting tongue 5l, under the control of a guidingbar 52, carried by the frame of the engine.

Steam or other actuating fluid is admitted to the cylinder through a pipe 55, having a suitable controlling-valve 56, and the steampipe is coupled to two branch pipes 57, leading into the cylinder at points on opposite sides of the abutment, a three-way cock 5S being introduced at the juncture of the several pipes in order to direct the steam through one or other of the branch pipes in accordance with the direction of travel of the piston.

At a point on the cylinder opposite the two steam-inlet ports are two exhaust-ports G0, leading through valve-casings 61, in which are spring-closed valves G2, and on the outer face of the cylinder are pivot-pins 63 for the support of levers 64,'the upper ends of which are adapted to engage the valve-stems, the levers being connected by a link 65 to an op erating-lever 6G and being moved simultaneously to open one or other of the valves in accordance with the direction of travel of the piston. The valve -operating lever is provided with a latch-bar and locking-bolt adapted to engage a notched locking-segment 67 of the usual construction.

In lien of the usual slide-valve a throttlevalve 69 is placed in a valve-casing 70, connected in the steam-supply pipe 55, said valve being acted upon by an adjustable operating mechanism for altering the point of cut-off in accordance with the speed and load of the engine, the mechanism being capable of adjustment to reverse position when the engine is to revolve in the opposite direction.

Mounted loosely on the shaft l2 are two cam-disks 72 and 73, having elongated hubs 74`and 75, respectively, the ends of the hubs bearing against stationary collars 76, secured to the shaft and serving to prevent longitudinal movement of the hubs and disks without interfering with thev rotating movement thereof. The disks 72 and 73 are provided with peripheral grooves for the reception of an antifriction-roller 77, depending from one arm of a bell-crank lever 78, pivoted on a pin 79, carried by a suitable supporting-bracket, the opposite arm of said bell-crank lever being connected by a link S0 to the stem of the throttle-valve. The actuating portion of the ICO IIO

cam-disk 72 is in the form of a shoulder 81, which by engagement with the antifrictionroller'77 moves the valve to opened position after the piston-wing has traveled for the full distance beyond the movable abutment. The valve remains in this position until the antifriction-roller is engaged by one or other of the shoulders 82 82', carried by the cam-disk 73, and is then moved to closed position. The interval between the opening and the closing 'movement of the valve is governed by circumferential adjustmentofthe cam-.disk 73, while the cam-disk 72 is adjustable only to one orV other of two positions in accordance with the direction of travel of the piston- The hub 74 of cam-disk 72 is provided with a pair of radially-,disposed pins 84, projecting through helical grooves 85 in a sleeve 86, keyed to the shaft and free for longitudinal movement thereon. The shaft is provided with an annular groove for the reception of a ring 87, connected by pins to the bifurcated end of an arm 88, carried by a rock-shaft 89, located near the bed-plate of the machine. At the other end of the rock-shaft, near one side of the bed-plate, is an adjusting-lever 90, having a latch-bar 91 and bolt for engaging a notched locking-segment 92, carried by the bed-plate. The movement of the operatinglever causes a corresponding longitudinalv movement of the sleeve 86, andthe helical lgrooves 85 of said sleeve cause, through the' pins 84, a partial revolutionof the hub 74 and cam-disk 72, the operating-shoulder 81 of the latter being properly adjusted with respectA to the abutment, so that the shoulder may properly act on the valve-lever in either direction of movement.

The hub 75 of the disk 73 is provided with pins 93, projecting through helical slots 95 in a'longitudinally-movable sleeve 96, heldto the shaft by suitable feathers or keys 97. This sleeve is provided With an annular groove for the reception of a ring 98, carried by the bifurcated end of a lever 99 on a rockshaft 100, and at the outer end of said rockshaft is an adj usting-lever 101,having a latchlever and locking-bolt for engagement with a notched segment 102. .The adjustment in this case may be to an extent equal to a complete revolution of camdisk 73, so that therelative positions of the valve-actuating L shoulders may be reversed or the distance between the valve-opening and the valveclosing shoulders adjusted to alter the amount of steam admitted to the engine. In some cases the adjustment of the cut-off may be governed by an ordinary form of centrifugal governor in order to render the engine automatic and properly regulate the speed.

The cylinder is provided with valved pipes 105, arranged near the abutment and constitut-ing byvpasses to permit the passage of steam around the piston to a point between the forward face of the piston and the abutment,

and thus automatically equalize the pressure` on opposite sides of the abutment priorto the opening movement thereof, thus reducing the friction andlessening the amount of power required for reciprocating the abutment.

It desired, the three-way cock, the exhaust-valves, and by-pass valves may be connected to a single system of levers and all operated at a single `,movement in reversing.

Having thus describedthe.invention, what I claim isl. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinderhaving an annular steam-space,

a piston disposed Within the cylinder, a pisl ton-wing carried by the piston and fitting within the steam-space, split packing-rings carried by the opposite walls of the cylinder and bearing against the sides of the piston, and laterally-projecting tongues forming a part of said rings and fitting Within recesses in .the walls of the cylinder. U

2. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder having an annular steam-space, a piston, a piston-wing carried thereby and fitting withinthe steam-space, an abutment movable into and out of the path of the piston-wing, an abutment-casing, and curved packing-strips carried by the walls of the casing at points around the circular wall kof the steam-space and adapted for contactwith the opposite sides of said abutment.

3. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder having an annular steam-space,- a piston, a piston wing fitting within the steam-space, an abutment containing and guiding casing, an abutment mounted Within` space for contact with the abutment, and an r abutment movable in a plane parallel with the axis of rotation of the piston and having its opposite sides tapered or inclined to pass between the packing-strips.

5. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder having an annular steam-space, a piston, a piston-wing arranged Within the IOC steam-space, an abutment-casing, a movable abutment mounted Within the/ casing and movable into and out of the path of travel of the piston, said abutment having a curved lower edge conforming to the contour of the. steam-space, and a spring-pressed barat the` upper edge of said abutment for contact with the upper wall of the casing.

6. The combination in a rotary engine, ,of the cylinder having an annular steam-space, a piston, a piston-wingisposed Within the steam space, an abutment casing having curved recesses in its opposite sides at points around the steam-space,ourved packing-strips adapted to the recesses, lugs projecting from the packingstrips and extending into recesses formed in the walls of the casing, springs bearing against the lugs,bolts for limiting the outward movement of the lugs and strips, and an abutment adapted to move between the packing-strips.

'7. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder having an annular steam-space, a piston, a piston-Wing disposed Within the steam-space, an abutment-guiding chamber, an abutment mounted therein and movable into and out of the path of travel of the piston-Wing, a shaft carrying the piston, a camwheel mounted on the shaft and provided with a peripheral cam-groove, a pivoted arm,

a roller mounted near one end of the arm and` extending into Athe cam-groove, means connecting the arm to the abutment, and an auX- iliary guiding-bar adapted to engage the outer end of said arm.

8. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder having an annular steam-space, a piston, a piston-wing disposed Within the steam-space, a movable abutment, and a bypass connecting adjacent portions of the cylinder near the abutment to permit the passage of steam around the piston as the latter approaches said abutment.

9. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder having an annular steam-space, a piston, a piston-Wing disposed Within the steam-space, an abutment movable into and out of the path of travel of the piston-Wing, and valved by-passes connecting spaced portions of the cylinder on opposite sides of the abutment to permit the passage of steam around the piston -Wing, as the latter approaches the abutment from either direction.

l0. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder, a piston therein, a steam-inlet valve, a circumferentially-adjustable valveoperatin g cam comprising a pair of cam members having edge flanges to form a grooved cam, and means for independently adjusting said members.

able cams carried thereby and flanged to form a continuous cam-groove, a hub or sleeve forming a part of each cam, pins carried by said hub, a longitudinally-adjustable sleeve feathered to the shaft and provided with inclined slots for the reception of the pins, means for adjusting said sleeves, and a steaminlet valve controlled lby the cams.

13. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder, a piston therein, a steam-inlet valve, a shaft, a pair of cam-disks each having an independent hub and mounted on the shaft, means for operatively connecting the cams to the valve, pins projecting from the hubs of the cams, sleeves feathered to the shaft and extending over the hubs, each of said sleeves being provided with a helical slot for the reception of the pins, and adjustinglevers operatively connected to said sleeves.

14. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder, a movable abutment carried by the cylinder, a piston, cylinder escape-ports arranged in the Walls of the cylinder at opposite sides of the abutment, spring-closed valves in the escape-ports, a valve-adjusting lever, a pair of valve-operating levers connected to each other and to the adjustinglever, and means for locking the levers in adjusted position in order to maintain either valve in open position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

SIDNEY BOWLING HOUSE;

Witnesses:

FRANK L. DELANO, B. W. HOUSE. 

